Mac and iPad uses their internal hard drives for both running and storing data. The best way to avoid piling up data inside these devices is by using an external hard drives and transfer them if not usually used. The internal hard drive, like any other smartphones or computers, records traces of programs, applications and other tasks and stores cache memory for faster access the next time a user accesses it.

But the internal memory can get cluttered, slowed down, and even get software related issues if left without maintenance. Most users do not clean up the system or update it regularly, and usually, the problems persist after several months or even years.

Two speed up tips for Mac

A. RAM or Random Access Memory serves as the immediate secretary of the processor which records activities of every single task. Mac units have decent amount of RAM installed, but just like Windows computers, the bigger the RAM, the better.

Check the System Profiler from your Applications > Utilities folder and under the RAM tab. It will display the amount of installed RAM in the device and also how many free slots there are.

RAM size varies from model to model; 2GB is bare minimum to any computers or netbooks including Mac as well. 4GB is fair enough to run music, video, browsing, and gaming. Certain multimedia editing and design apps requires higher GB for stability, 8GB is best for more performance and power.

B. Always check the Login items

Login involves Startup programs in any computing devices. The more programs during the login, the slower it is to finish loading everything before a smooth performance. Too many Login items consume more resources to the RAM and also have more energy demands.

Go to System Preferences > Accounts and under the user account, look for the Login Items section. Check all if there is something not needed and click the minus arrow to remove it. This should speed up login time and overall performance.

Three troubleshooting utilities

1. OnyX Free

It's a free app that goes under the hood of the Mac and performs clean-ups and repairs. It gives solution to database restoration links, cache and logs cleaning, and customises the Finder which Apple doesn't normally allow. It also tweaks Safari, iTunes, Mail, and QuickTime.

2. Cocktail

The app lets the user tweak, optimise and customise Mac using five tools - disks, system, files, network, and interface. It helps out to run maintenance scripts, caching cleaning, system behavior alteration and appearance of apps. It has a RAM optimiser, and Time Machine settings change.

3. Diskwarrior

This one repairs and replaces corrupted directories and fixes some problems which are not commonly done by other apps. The app fixes more issues than the Apple's Disk utility built inside the device and can do disk repairs to restore files and folders that are lost or corrupted.

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